Heavy rain helps calm Australia bushfires — but brings floods

A heavy rain gave Australia a reprieve from the deadly bush fires on Saturday — and a refreshing drink for a thirsty koala — but brought a new problem: flash flooding and road closures.

Authorities shuttered major highways, parks and tourist attractions in Queensland and power outages were reported in New South Wales Saturday after the downpour, which began Wednesday along the eastern coast.

The wet weather is expected to subside in Queensland — which saw triple the monthly rainfall overnight –— but could continue in Victoria throughout the weekend.

The rain doused concerns that heavy smoke would disrupt the Australian Open tennis tournament when it kicks off Monday in Melbourne.

Victoria’s Environmental Protection Authority upgraded the air quality to “good” following the rain, after an earlier forecast of unhealthy air for the weekend. But there is still concern from the athletes.

“Everybody is told to be inside, and we’re having court calls,” 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer told Reuters. “How far are we from that threshold of playing, not playing?”

Fires were still roaring in Victoria Saturday, with crews battling a blaze in the state’s mountain region that was 15 times the size of Manhattan.

With Post wires